Donating Platelets (,or Blood, or Plasma) and Calorie Loss
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I don't think this is a stupid question at all. After blood donations (especially right after), it's common to feel fatigued/hungry/dehydrated. After donating double red blood, I give myself an extra 250-500 calories, depending on how I feel. It's not about, "Woo hoo I earned more calories! Donating blood is exercise!" It's more about trying to bounce back afterwards. That said, it's not like blood/platelet donation means that you immediately have to replenish those calories. Your body will naturally replenish the platelets in about 7-14 days. Over those 7-14 days, the process of creating new platelets/stabilizing your body back to its normal platelet count probably does not use very much energy. If you're feeling weak after donating, I suggest upping your fluids and eating at/near maintenance levels.0
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According thos this site
http://plasmadonating.blogspot.com/2013/07/does-donating-plasma-make-you-lose.html
You lose approximately 470 calories with a plasma donation.0 -
britishbroccoli wrote: »I don't think this is a stupid question at all. After blood donations (especially right after), it's common to feel fatigued/hungry/dehydrated. After donating double red blood, I give myself an extra 250-500 calories, depending on how I feel. It's not about, "Woo hoo I earned more calories! Donating blood is exercise!" It's more about trying to bounce back afterwards. That said, it's not like blood/platelet donation means that you immediately have to replenish those calories. Your body will naturally replenish the platelets in about 7-14 days. Over those 7-14 days, the process of creating new platelets/stabilizing your body back to its normal platelet count probably does not use very much energy. If you're feeling weak after donating, I suggest upping your fluids and eating at/near maintenance levels.
I always carb load before I donate blood.0 -
Should I log bleeding once a month under zumba or vigorous calisthenics?1
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BombshellPhoenix wrote: »Should I log bleeding once a month under zumba or vigorous calisthenics?
Ohhhh I get a HUGE calorie burn!0 -
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »BombshellPhoenix wrote: »Should I log bleeding once a month under zumba or vigorous calisthenics?
Ohhhh I get a HUGE calorie burn!
Hey, if it justifies all this as free calories
I'll log it every month!
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britishbroccoli wrote: »I don't think this is a stupid question at all. After blood donations (especially right after), it's common to feel fatigued/hungry/dehydrated. After donating double red blood, I give myself an extra 250-500 calories, depending on how I feel. It's not about, "Woo hoo I earned more calories! Donating blood is exercise!" It's more about trying to bounce back afterwards. That said, it's not like blood/platelet donation means that you immediately have to replenish those calories. Your body will naturally replenish the platelets in about 7-14 days. Over those 7-14 days, the process of creating new platelets/stabilizing your body back to its normal platelet count probably does not use very much energy. If you're feeling weak after donating, I suggest upping your fluids and eating at/near maintenance levels.
People often donate platelets as a funding source. They aren't considered blood products, so you can sell them. My ex used to do it twice a week. Eating extra calories twice a week every week could really inhibit weight loss, especially if people are at a small deficit. That is rather different than donating whole blood once every 6 weeks.0 -
I donate blood regularly and I always log 400-600 calories burned for "donation". That covers the cookies, orange juice and "hearty meal afterwards" that is a vital part of the donation process.0
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britishbroccoli wrote: »I don't think this is a stupid question at all. After blood donations (especially right after), it's common to feel fatigued/hungry/dehydrated. After donating double red blood, I give myself an extra 250-500 calories, depending on how I feel. It's not about, "Woo hoo I earned more calories! Donating blood is exercise!" It's more about trying to bounce back afterwards. That said, it's not like blood/platelet donation means that you immediately have to replenish those calories. Your body will naturally replenish the platelets in about 7-14 days. Over those 7-14 days, the process of creating new platelets/stabilizing your body back to its normal platelet count probably does not use very much energy. If you're feeling weak after donating, I suggest upping your fluids and eating at/near maintenance levels.
People often donate platelets as a funding source. They aren't considered blood products, so you can sell them. My ex used to do it twice a week. Eating extra calories twice a week every week could really inhibit weight loss, especially if people are at a small deficit. That is rather different than donating whole blood once every 6 weeks.
Interesting. American Red Cross lists a limit of 24 times a year.
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/platelets0 -
_Terrapin_ wrote: »britishbroccoli wrote: »I don't think this is a stupid question at all. After blood donations (especially right after), it's common to feel fatigued/hungry/dehydrated. After donating double red blood, I give myself an extra 250-500 calories, depending on how I feel. It's not about, "Woo hoo I earned more calories! Donating blood is exercise!" It's more about trying to bounce back afterwards. That said, it's not like blood/platelet donation means that you immediately have to replenish those calories. Your body will naturally replenish the platelets in about 7-14 days. Over those 7-14 days, the process of creating new platelets/stabilizing your body back to its normal platelet count probably does not use very much energy. If you're feeling weak after donating, I suggest upping your fluids and eating at/near maintenance levels.
People often donate platelets as a funding source. They aren't considered blood products, so you can sell them. My ex used to do it twice a week. Eating extra calories twice a week every week could really inhibit weight loss, especially if people are at a small deficit. That is rather different than donating whole blood once every 6 weeks.
Interesting. American Red Cross lists a limit of 24 times a year.
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/platelets
Oh, you're right. I'm thinking plasma. Although that was mentioned in the thread title.
I also eat more when I donate blood, but too much or too frequently, and it might inhibit weight loss.0 -
Ah got it. Makes sense now._Terrapin_ wrote: »britishbroccoli wrote: »I don't think this is a stupid question at all. After blood donations (especially right after), it's common to feel fatigued/hungry/dehydrated. After donating double red blood, I give myself an extra 250-500 calories, depending on how I feel. It's not about, "Woo hoo I earned more calories! Donating blood is exercise!" It's more about trying to bounce back afterwards. That said, it's not like blood/platelet donation means that you immediately have to replenish those calories. Your body will naturally replenish the platelets in about 7-14 days. Over those 7-14 days, the process of creating new platelets/stabilizing your body back to its normal platelet count probably does not use very much energy. If you're feeling weak after donating, I suggest upping your fluids and eating at/near maintenance levels.
People often donate platelets as a funding source. They aren't considered blood products, so you can sell them. My ex used to do it twice a week. Eating extra calories twice a week every week could really inhibit weight loss, especially if people are at a small deficit. That is rather different than donating whole blood once every 6 weeks.
Interesting. American Red Cross lists a limit of 24 times a year.
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/platelets
Oh, you're right. I'm thinking plasma. Although that was mentioned in the thread title.
I also eat more when I donate blood, but too much or too frequently, and it might inhibit weight loss.
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I find it a litte annoying that there is no calorie allowance for donating blood. The juice and cookies they give at the clinic are high in sugar, and can leave me hungry, despite taking up 250 of my 1200 calorie allowance. Also, you have to make sure to fit in your workout before you donate, in case you feel to wimpy to do one after, and end up missing out on those calories. Last time I brought a Happy Planet juice (has iron to help repenish the blood supply) and trail mix so that I had more nutrition/protein with my post-donation snack (as a diabetic I'm supposed to couple carbs with protein).
I've read that a plasma donation burns about 450 calories, and a whole blood donation 650, both from the macro nutrients in the blood (at least 84 grams of protein, plus a very small amount of glucose and fat) and from the metabolic effect of making that blood. The red cross website states a plasma donation is replenished in 2 days (which is why you can donate plasma once a week for up to 24 weeks a year), meaning an extra 225 calories used by the body/day for 2 days. A whole blood donation takes more like 4-6 weeks, but it would make sense that that replacing the plasma would take about the same time for both donations, and consume about the same amount of calories.
The physical impact of giving blood is felt mostly on the day of donation, and it feels like more than 20 calories worth. It would be nice to have an extra 200 calorie allowance built into the day, so that those who donate aren't eating back the whole calorie impact, but can still have a little something so they don't spend the day after a donation feeling crashed out, cranky, and hungry.0 -
I think the community impact of giving is more important than the actual "calorie burn" if that's what you want to call it. As someone who has benefited from donations, thank you!
As someone who has benefitted from counting calories and losing weight, I do not think it's worth it. Bring your own snack and juice and drink lots of water. Eat at maintenance that day if it helps.
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Gosh this is great - who knew that medical procedures burned calories!? Is there an entry in the database for colonoscopies, child birth, organ donation? Although those last two sort of automatically result in weight loss, so I wouldn't want to double dip my calorie burn...0
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